Christina Antemann, Chris

1970Born

EDUCATION

1997BFA University of Minnesota, Minnesota
2000MFA Indiana University, Pennsylvania

APPRENTICESHIPS AND RESIDENCIES 

2002Artist in Residence, Jingdezhen Sanboa Ceramic Art Institute, Jingdezhen, China

2002Artist in Residence, Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, Montana
2004Arts/Industry Resident, John Michael Kohler Factory, Kohler, Wisconsin
2006Arts/Industry Resident, John Michael Kohler Factory, Kohler, Wisconsin
2010Virginia A. Groot Foundation Grant
2010Visiting Artist, Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, Helena, Montana
2011-2014Artist in Residence, MEISSEN art CAMPUS®, Meissen Manufactory, Leipzig, Germany

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

1994—Studio Artist

Chris Antemann is known for porcelain tableaux reflective of her study of 18th century European decorative arts. Early in her career she made a few functional vessel forms.

It was her study of 18th century porcelain figurines the Meissen porcelain modeler Johann Joachim Kändler and rococo paintings by Antoine Watteau, Jean-Honoré Fragonard and François Boucher that led her to the work she is best known for. In contrast to her European influences, Antemann relies on literal representation rather than coy suggestion. Her work explores gender roles, androgyny and the seamier side of upstairs–downstairs social interactions. Women are presented in varying levels of dress and the men are naked.

She developed a technique that employs combinations of hand-built, molded, and cast parts for each figure. The porcelain tableware, food, fruits and floral arrangements are hand built and/or cast as are some parts of the furniture and architectural features.  Hand painting, decals and glazes, including luster and gilding, are used on the figures, textiles, the tableware, furniture etc. Antemann assembles these porcelain elements into contemporary narrative ceramic sculptures of scenes of pleasure gardens, intimate genre scenes without walls etc. Prior to her work at MEISSEN art CAMPUS®, Leipzig, Germany (2011-14), Antemann used a cream-colored porcelain body for her work but adopted the Meissen white porcelain body during her residency.

While working in collaboration with the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, Antemann completed a room installation titled “Forbidden Fruit: a Collection of Antemann Dreams,” consisting of a formal 18^th-century banquet table centerpiece on mirrored plateau which was exhibited at the Museum of Art, Meissen, Germany in 2013 and as a traveling show in the USA. The themes of the table top installation were: Forbidden Fruit, Love Temple, Fruit Pyramid, Pleasure Garden, Paradise Chandelier and A Taste of Paradise.